American Juli Inkster, at 48 the oldest player in the field, took a leaf out of Greg Norman's book when the Ricoh Women's British Open began at Sunningdale on Thursday.
On a day when Annika Sorenstam kicked off her last major before retirement with only a level-par 72, Inkster overcame a tee-time of 6.52am to grab an eagle and five birdies for a seven-under 65.
She led by one from a large group which included England's Johanna Head, whose husband Terry is the caddie of Ian Poulter and was on the Open runner-up's bag as he started the Bridgestone World Championship event in Ohio with a level-par 70.
Victory on Sunday would make Inkster the oldest winner of a women's major in history - and that, of course, only two weeks after 53-year-old Norman led at Birkdale with nine holes to play before slipping back to joint third.
She played her first major 30 years ago and said: "I always thought I would play about five years, have a couple of kids and retire.
"I'm kind of unique. Golf is what I do. I have a family and I enjoy being home, but I also enjoy what I do.
"I don't think Annika could come out here and finish 15th or 12th on the money list and live with herself. I'm OK with that. Golf's not the end of the world for me."
While Norman's performance in The Open was a total surprise, Inkster's was not. The mother-of-two, already with seven majors to her name, is still in the world's top 20 and was unbeaten when America retained the Solheim Cup in Sweden last year.
Highlight of her round was a drive to 18 feet on the 273-yard ninth to set up an eagle two.
Defending champion and world number one Lorena Ochoa had a chance to match the Californian's score when she stood five under with four to go, but bogeys at the 16th and 17th meant she had to settle for a three-under 69.
Sorenstam would happily have taken that, but it was never on from the moment she bogeyed three of the first six holes.
"I've never made as many bogeys as I have the last three months and it's driving me crazy," commented the 37-year-old Swede, who is calling time on her glittering career at the end of the season to pursue other interests and possibly start a family.
"I was looking forward to a wonderful day and get some momentum going. It's so disappointing when I can't post something low and I don't really know what to do - I can't seem to play 18 holes."
Sorenstam ended the day in a share of 66th place - and only the leading 65 and ties come Friday night go through to the final 36 holes.
Head, whose twin sister Sam pulled out after five holes suffering from tonsilitis, was in joint second place with Inkster's Solheim Cup team-mates Laura Diaz and Stacy Prammanasudh, Japan's Yuri Fudoh and Momoko Ueda and Koreans Ji-Yai Shin Ji Young Oh.
Two more English players, Karen Stupples and Rebecca Hudson, will resume on Friday only two behind.
Stupples won the event when it was last held on the course four years ago, while Hudson is seeking her third victory of the season.
Becoming a major champion might make a difference, but so far Hudson has not been tempted to follow Head and Stupples to America.
"The people I want to be with aren't there. If you are not happy what's the point?" she commented.
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